HD 4870 - Wzzzzzzz POP!

[baditude_df]

It might just be me, but I don't think they're supposed to make that sound. Or that smell for that matter. What a stench.

See if you can spot the bad chip:

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/4167/img0810ij4.jpg

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/2636/img0809sc3.jpg

I'll tell ya, my luck has gone from bad to worse. Earlier in the week I had my first stick of RAM go bad, and last night my first fried GFX card. The worst part was I just picked up this card on the 18th. Brutal.

Good news is that I spent the extra $30.00 on Instant Product Replacement. It was exchanged in about 15 minutes which is nice, but only if they don't keep doing this.

[SeanBest]

Nummy. One little metal thingy burned a hole through the white sticker on the back of my 4870...so I moved the sticker...

[Nebulous]

Oh snap! :eek: I hope that was just a freak thing. Glad you got the replacement with the quickness.

[Bottomsup]

30 extra for instant vs RMA? That seems steep. GL with the new card.

[baditude_df]

$30.00 to completely bypass the RMA process no questions asked, grab a brand new product off the shelf and have your machine back up and running the same day. Steep? No, not really.

[e6600]

$30.00 to completely bypass the RMA process no questions asked, grab a brand new product off the shelf and have your machine back up and running the same day. Steep? No, not really.
what seller offers this instant rma thing?

[chevro1et]

Man that sucks. Watch out, they say that bad luck runs in 3's... :sn:

Seriously though, no power issues? (local surges/ psu instability/ etc) Just gotta ask, with 2 components going out like that within such a narrow timeframe...

[Kami|DF|]

No worries, it seems like I am the 3rd bad luck for ol'Baditude... He built me a computer a week ago... Nothing wrong until I pushed the power button. Well, same problem here, the HD4870 broke (well according to the tech)... Good thing that Bad had a IPR on this one too... It's just a bad luck going on...

[WonderingSoul]

$30.00 to completely bypass the RMA process no questions asked, grab a brand new product off the shelf and have your machine back up and running the same day. Steep? No, not really.

Is this from a retailer or do they overnight you a new card?

[Alien432]

What's on the other side of that burnt chip? Memory?
It also looks like the screw melted a bit too!
Did you set off the smoke detector ?

[baditude_df]

Is this from a retailer or do they overnight you a new card?

Canadian Retailer called Memory Express. Just take it in and exchange.
You can get the same type of warantee for big ticket items at BestBuy or Future Shop, but those are steep. Really depends of your point of view.

What's on the other side of that burnt chip? Memory?
It also looks like the screw melted a bit too!
Did you set off the smoke detector ?

Other side is more MOSFETS, but those ones have a heatsink over them.

This was one of the new design from VisionTek. It's got the heatpipe and fin cooler. Although it keeps the GPU cooler, it relies only on air to cool the RAM. I like the wind tunnel design better I think.

I am going to be investing in one of these right away. I think it would help out quite a bit.
http://www.petrastechshop.com/cuhdcokitbyi.html

No worries, it seems like I am the 3rd bad luck for ol'Baditude... He built me a computer a week ago... Nothing wrong until I pushed the power button. Well, same problem here, the HD4870 broke (well according to the tech)... Good thing that Bad had a IPR on this one too... It's just a bad luck going on...

Heya Kami, Welcome to the Forums! :welcome:

[Alien432]

Yes those heat sinks from Petra's are a very good idea. Jab-tech has them too. I heard be careful installing them and to not tighten them too much as the can bend PCB.

[xtkxhom3r]

overclock it much? haha man that sucks but atleast you got a new one

[baditude_df]

overclock it much? haha man that sucks but atleast you got a new one

Didn't have a chance to overclock that one at all, the damn thing blew up on me. Funny thing is, I have a 120mm fan blowing on my RAM and NB which also directly covers those chips.

[xtkxhom3r]

wow dude no overclock... that really sucks lol atleast your back in the game almost instantly

[Blazing fire]

Seriously though, no power issues? (local surges/ psu instability/ etc) Just gotta ask, with 2 components going out like that within such a narrow timeframe...

That was the first thing which came to mind. Is the 1200w PSU good?

Just when you were building your new loop... http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=582619 this had to happen. Good luck!

[baditude_df]

Seriously though, no power issues? (local surges/ psu instability/ etc) Just gotta ask, with 2 components going out like that within such a narrow timeframe...

The power did cut out a few weeks ago, but I'm behind a Belkin PURE|AV surge protector. It's happened in the past with no ill effect.

This did happen to a lesser extent the night before my RAM went on me. Had a total system shut down and had a burnt electronics smell. I instantly tore out my PSU and opened it up. Nothing. Then inspected my motherboard for singes. Nothing. Inspected the GFX card and nothing.
The machine powered up ok right after I hooked everything back up then I powered it down for the night. In the morning it just went into a loop of start ups and shutdowns with no POST and that's when I started testing the RAM. Found that one stick was fried. Ran on single channel at stock settings and 1066 on the RAM for the next couple of days, then a couple of nights later, ZAP!! I really found out where the problem was coming from because there was smoke coming out of it.

So yea, there was a surge of some sort caused by that damned GFX card doing a shutdown on my system that first night, but how it effected only one stick of RAM I have no idea. The RAM IC's are just more susceptible to that kind of charge than other components I guess. But I have no doubt that it was the PC based surge from that GFX failure that killed the RAM and not a PLUG surge.


That was the first thing which came to mind. Is the 1200w PSU good?

Just when you were building your new loop... http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=582619 this had to happen. Good luck!

The 1200W CWT is solid as a rock.